Side tripping drop bottom car



Aug. R. c KEPNER SIDE TRIPPING DROP BOTTOM CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1951 Rose-n76 I BY INYENTOR .ksnvzk J. M I ATTORNEY Aug. 17, 1954 R. c. KEPNER 2,686,605

SIDE TRIPPING DROP BOTTOM CAR Filed July 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR mqim ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 17, 1954 SIDE TRIPPING DROP BUTT-M CAR Robert C. Kepner, Bloomsburg, Pa., assignor to ACE Industries, Incorporated, a. corporation of New Jersey Application July 5, 1951, Serial No. 235,292

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to mine cars in general, but in particular to drop bottom mine cars which are automatically tripped at a designated station.

The bulk of the drop bottom mine cars have been constructed with tripping arms extending outwardly and downwardly for contact with a track side carried ramp, this ramp acting vertically to lift the end of the latch arm and release the door for dropping. These latch arms are frequently damaged by striking track side obstructions or by the car being pushed into the coal or rock blown down by the powder charge. It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide a car having the side arm eliminated and the tripping mechanism protected against damage.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a drop bottom car having latch operatingparts movable by lateral pressure.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a mine car of the drop bottom type having the latch operated by track side equipment movable along vertically extending side surfaces of the car.

These and other-objects of the invention will be apparent topersons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of substantially the rear half of the car;

Figs. 2 and 2A taken together show the end construction of the car and tripping mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View showing the relation of the .car parts and tripping mechanism.v

Referring now to the drawingsin detail it will be seen that the car is formed with a heavy supporting frame having side sills Z joined by end sills 4 and enclosing a space which is normally adapted to be closed by doors 6. The frame is supported upon wheels W adapted to run on the rails R. Secured to the side sills and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom are sloping wall portions 3 which terminate in an upwardly directed top portion Ill. These side wall portions are suitably braced by gussets l2 secured to the side sills and to the sloping portions of the side floors. The car is completed by end walls l4 connected to the supporting frame and to the side walls.

The rearmost door is provided with a tongue I6 adapted to be engaged with a latch hook it pivoted, as at 20, to the car structure. The upper end of the latch hook is pivotally connected to a push rod 22 extending transversely of the car and alongside the rear end wall. As clearly shown, this push rod extends through an end wall gusset 24 and has a stop 26 welded or otherwise secured thereto and forming a stop for one end of spring 28, this spring serving to hold the latch hook in tongue engaging position; In order to prevent injury to the push rod and at: the same time stiffen the end Wall, a housing plate 30 is welded or otherwise secured to the end wall I l and gusset 24.

The outer end of push rod 22 is pin connected, as at 32, to the rear end of a treadle member 34. This treadle member is movable transversely of the car about a vertically extending pivot 36. The treadle as shown forms a continuation of guide plate 38 welded or otherwise secured to the sloping portion 8 of one side floor portion, and this guide plate is suitably braced by braces 40 connected to the guide plate and to the sloping side walls of the car. Additionally, the guide plate may be braced by being welded or-otherwise secured to the gussets I 2. The guide plate 38 extends from end to end of the car and in efiect forms a track along which the track side tripping mechanism may move until such time as it contacts treadle 34. Inward or transverse motion of this treadle 34 will cause rotation of the latch hook to the dotted. position of Fig. 2, thereby releasing the rear door 5 for dropping.

In order to cause transverse movement of the treadle 34, the track side mechanism as. shown in Figs. 2 and 2A is provided. This mechanism is formed with a base 58 to which is pivoted control plates 52, these plates being pivoted, as at 54, to the base and on this same pivot is mounted the arm 56 extending upwardly and 'rotatably carrying a resilient wheel 58. The arm 56 is urged toward the rails by a spring is interposed between the arm and portions of the pivoted plates. The control plates 52 are moved to a retracted or inoperative position by means of handle 62 pivoted to the base, as at 64, and link connected, as at 66, to the control plates. The handle and link as shown form a toggle lock holding the plates 52 in their operative position yet release pressure applied to handle 62 will permit the entire assembly to be rotated about pin 54, thereby moving wheel 53 to an inoperative position. In certain installations the spacing of the rails is not accurate and excessive motion will be present between the side sills and the wheels which is due to wear at the journal boxes. In such installations it is desirable to place a stand !0 opposite the base and to mount thereon a wheel 12.-

This wheel is preferably of the resilient type and adapted to run along the vertical side wall Hi. This wheel will tend to hold the car in proper relation with respect to the tripping wheel 58.

From the preceding it will be seen that as the car moves through the tripping station, wheels 58 and 12 will roll along the guide plate 38 and side wall respectively. When wheel 58 strikes treadle 34 it will move the same inwardly thereby applying pressure through the push rod to the upper end of latch hook l8 and moving the same to the dotted position of Fig. 2. It will also be obvious from the preceding that various modifications may be made and all such modifications are contemplated as will wall within the scope of the appended claims defining my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drop bottom mine car thecornbinationof a supporting frame structure enclosing a space, outwardly and upwardly sloping side walls connected to said frame, end walls connecting said said walls and frame, doors carried by the car and normally closing the space enclosed by the frame to retain lading in the car and swingable downwardly to discharge the lading from the car, a latch hook carried by the car adjacent an end wall and in position to hold and release one of the doors, gussets connected to the sloping side walls and frame structure, a guide plate secured to one of said sloping side walls and extending from end to end of the car beneath the plane of the sloping side wall, said guide plate depending from the side walls and being secured to the outer ends of the gussets, and latch hook control means connected to said guide plate and latch hook, and including a movable portion of said guide plate.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said movable portion is pivoted for movement transversely of the car about a vertically extending axis.

3. In a drop bottom mine car assembly the combination with a car having a supporting frame carried by wheels rolling on rails, of a drop bottom door hingedly carried by the car, a latch hook also carried by the car and normally engaging the door to retain the same in raised position and movable to release the door for opening, side walls secured tothe supporting frame and each including a substantially vertically extending portion, operating means connected to said latch hook and including a treadle part pivotally connected to one of said vertically extending portions, and a pair of spaced means independent of the car engageable with said vertically extending portions during movement of the car one means acting to guide the car and the other to move said treadle and operating means to release the door for opening.

4. The structure of claim 3 characterized in that said means comprises resilient wheels located outwardly of the rails on either side thereof and rotatable about substantially vertically extending axes.

5. In a drop bottom mine car assembly the combination with a car having a supporting frame carried by wheels rolling on rails, of a drop bottom door hingedly carried by the car, a latch hook also carried by the car and normally engaging the door to retain the same in raised position and movable to release the door for opening, upwardly and outwardly sloping side walls secured to the supporting frame, a guide plate depending from one of the side walls intermediate the sloping portion thereof and outward of the plane of the adjacent wheels, a treadle pivoted to said guide plate for movement transversely of the car, means connecting said treadle and latch hook for joint operation, and means independent of the car engageable with said guide plate and treadle to move the treadle transversely of the car during movement of the car along the rails to thereby release the door for opening.

6. The structure of claim 5 characterized in that said last named means comprises a resilient wheel rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and rolling along said guide plate and treadle. 1

7. In a drop bottom mine car the combination of a supporting frame structure enclosing a space, outwardly and upwardly sloping side walls connected to said frame, end walls connecting said side walls and frame, doors carried by the car and normally closing the space enclosed by the frame to retain lading in the car and swingable downwardly to discharge the lading from the car, a latch tongue carried by one of the doors, a latch hook carried by the car adjacent an end wall and in position to engage and disengage said latch tongue, a push rod connected to said latch hook and extending along an end wall toward one of the side walls, and means connected to the outer end of said push rod and movable inward of the car in unison with the push rod to cause disengagement of said latch hook from said latch tongue, said means comprising a treadle pivoted to a side wall for horizontal movement about a vertically extending axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,414,760 Szemanske May 2, 1922 2,400,026 Schroeder May 7, 1946 2,451,406 Pancake Oct. 12, 1948 

